The North East Waste region covers almost 21,000 sq km of land area and has a population of almost 300,000. The seven member Councils within this region are Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed Shire. There are 9 landfill sites, two recycling facilities, three organics processing facilities and eleven transfer stations situated throughout the region.

 

Each Council has its own arrangements in place for waste collection, by contract with a private operator or by an in-house Day Labour service. All Councils have a kerbside recycling service for residents and four Councils provide an organics collection. Recycling is available to commercial premises in six Council areas and organics collection for business is available in three.

 

In 2010-11 294,065 ton of waste was generated in the region. Of this 126,637 ton (43%) was recovered as resources and 167,427.6 ton was disposed of to landfill. The main components of the waste stream diverted for recycling or composting were:

 

- garden organics and food waste

- comingled recycling - plastics, metals, glass, paper and cardboard;

- construction and demolition waste;

- scrap metals

- tyres and batteries

- used oils

- electronic waste